Exercising device



Filed Dec. 11

FIG. 2

FIG!

INVENTOR Patents June 3, 1924. l v i a I I i GEORGE E. SMITH, 01F NEWARK, oHIo.

n xnneisme DEVICE.

Application filed December 11,1922.- Serial no. "606,190.

To all whom it may concern: ticalsectional view-showinga construction Be it known that I, GEORGE E. SMITH, in whichtheiu'perend of the Vertical pasa citizen of the United States, and resident sage may be c osed while the weight is deof Newark, in the county of Licking and scending, and also showing a modified form- State of Ohio, have invented anew and useof door for closing the lower end of the ful Improvement in Exercising Devices p,assage,'and-Fig. 3 is an enlarged diametand I do hereby declare the following to rical sectional View showing one manner in be a full, clear, and exact description whichthe weights may be constructed. thereof. In Fig. lof the drawing, the numerals 2 1 My invention-relates to exercising deand 3 indicate telescoping tubes which devices, and its object is to provide an imfine'a vertical passage 4, and which are suproved device of simple constructiom'where ported upon a hollow base 5.- Suitable '51 physical exercise may be taken in an means are provided for adjusting the efint'ere'sting manner by repeatedly raising a fectivevertical height of the tube 3,-such 15 weight and depositing the Weight in a vermeans, as shown, consisting of a thumb tical passage down which the weight falls at screw 6 extending througha screw-threaded a rate sufliciently slow to avoid noiseand opening in a band 7 formed aroundthe shock. The weight is delivered from the upper end'of the tube '3 and bearing against bottom of the vertical passage and may be the upper side of the tube; 3. Any other 20 again lifted and deposited as many times as means for accomplishing the same result may be desired, and the user of thedevice, may of course be employed. by counting the number of'times the weight A weight 9 which, as shown, is spherical, is passed through the machine, can readily but which maybe of any other desired form, calculate the amount of work he has done. is shown in various positions within the 25 The vertical passage iIllZO WhlCll the tube and the base. The weight is -pr'ef-- weight is deposited ismade of the proper erably fittedwith a suitable covering o-f-asoft size and shape to fit the outlines of the rubber or a fabric with a soft nap, as shown weight with but'little clearance. Therefore, at 9 Fig. 3, so that in passing through the as the weight descends in the vertical pastube the covering will be crowded against sage .it will'compress the air beneath itif the walls of "the tube by the pneumatic the lower end is closed, or will rarify the pressure existing therein, and the friction air above it if the upper end of the passage thus set up willassist in'checking the fall is closed. I utilize this abnormal air pvresof the weight. To the same'end the inner sure effect, either compression or rari'facwalls" of the vertical tube may be lined with tion, to check the fall of the weightinthe soft rubber or soft fabric; e vertical passage, and thus reduce the shock" j The base 5' contains acushioning pad 10 when the weight reaches .the bottom of the of rubber or other soft material, the upper passage. Other novel features of my desurface/of which is suitably shapedto direct vice include means for closing either the the weight from the vertical tube to a door 40 upper end or the lower end of the vertical 11 which swings on a horizontal pivot 12, passage, means for adjusting the vertical and'which may be lined with felt-or other height'of the passage and means, in addisuitable material, as shown at 13. tion to the pneumatic means already men- The door 11 should be of such weight tioned, for cushioning the fall of the weight. and construction that a ball descending 45 In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is through" the vertical passage willnot force a vertical sectional view showing the device the door open until the ball rolls against constructed in accordance with my invenit. In Fig. 1 the weight of-the door is retion, wherein the lower end of thevertical lied upon to keep the door closed until it passage is closed and the height of the pasis pushed open by the weight. In the modi- 50 sage is adjustable; Fig. 2 is asimilar verfication'shownin Fig. 2 the door 11' swings from a pivot 12, as in Fig. 1, and is provided with a latch 15 which holds the door securely until it is released by the ball just before the ball engages the door. For this purpose the latch 15 hooks around a fixed pin 16 and is provided with a tail portion 17 which extends into the path of the descending weight 9. A spring 18 restores the latch to its active position after the ball has passed beyond the door 11 In the device shown in Fig. '2, the suction produced above the descending weight is relied upon to check its fall instead of, or in addition to, the compression of the air below the weight. For this purpose the upper end of the vertical tube 20 is closed by means of a door 21 which is pivoted at 22 and is provided with an arm 23 to which is attached a spring 24 that tends to hold the door 21 in the open position shown in dotted lines. The door 21 also has an arm 25 which, when the door is open, projects partially acrossthe upper end of the tube 20, so as to be engaged by the weight 9 when it is introduced into the top of the tube; The suction produced by the weight 9 as it descends in the tube is sufficient to hold the door 21 in its closed position, but if a more positive action is desired the door 21 may be provided with a suitable latch for holding it closed.

When the device is to be used the operator deposits the weight 9 in the top of the vertical passage. The weight is immediately andquietly deposited on the floor again, and the operation is repeated as often as desired.

The balls 9 may be made in various weights. For example, the ball, if made of solid iron, may weigh about-1O pounds and may be made lighter by hollowing out the interior of the ball, as shown at 9 Fig. 3, without changing the outside dimensions. Likewise, the ball maybe made heavier by hollowing it out and filling the internal cavity'with lead or some substance that is considerably heavier than iron.

7 The operation of this device is practically noiseless and free from vibration. A 15- pound weight can be made to drop through the machine without the noise being noticed outside the room in which the machine is being operated. I

As stated above, the operatorcan readily calculate what amount of work he has done by counting the number of times he passes the weight through the machine. For in stance, if a 10 pound ball is passed ten times, the operator has lifted 100 pounds from the floor to the top of the tube, and if a 10 pound ball is lifted 100 times, the operator will have lifted a half ton to the top of the tube.

It will be understood that various changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An. exercising device comprising a 7! member defining a vertical passage, a weight suitable for producing bodily exercise by repeated lifting, said weight'being adapted to fall thru said passage, and pneumatic means made effective by the downward movement of'said weight thru said passage for cushioning the fall of the said weight.

2. An exercising device comprising a member defining a vertical passage, a weight suitable for producing bodily exercise by repeated lifting, said weight being adapted to fit slidingly within said passage, and being adapted to cause, by its movement thru said passage, abnormal pressure which is elfective to check the fall of said weight, and a door for closing one end of said passage. 5

3. An exercising device comprising a member defining a vertical passage, a weight suitable for producing bodily exercise by repeated lifting, said weight being adapted to fit slidingly within said passage and being adapted to cause, by its movement thru said passage, abnormal pressure which is effective to check the fall of said weight, a door for closing one end of said passage, and means at the bottom of said passage for absorbing the shock of the descending weight.

1. An exercising device comprising a hollow base, a cushioning pad within said base and having a concave upper surface, an outlet opening in said base, a vertical tube carried by said base, and a weight suitable for producing bodily exercise by repeated lifting, said weight fitting slidingly within said tube and being adapted, by its movement thru said tube, to produce abnormal pressure which is effective to check the fall of the said weight.

5. An exercising device comprising a hollow base, a cushioning pad within said base and having an inclined concave upper surface, an outlet opening in said base, a vertical tube carried by said base, a weight fitting slidingly within said tube, said weight being suitable for producing bodily exercise by repeated lifting, and being adapted by its movement thru said tube to produce abnormal pressure which is effective to check the fall of said weight, and a door for-closing the opening in said base.

6. An exercising device comprising a member defining avertical passage, a Weight fitting slidingly within said passage, said weight having a covering of soft material adapted to frictionally' engage the walls of said passage and being adapted to produce, by its movement thru said passage, abnormal pressure which is effective to check the fall of said weight.

7. An exercising device comprising a hollow base having a lateral opening, a cushioning pad disposed in said base, a swinging door for closing said opening, a- Vertical tube carried by said base, a second tube in adjustable telescoping relation to said firstnamed tube, and a Weight fitting slidingly within said vertical tube, said weight being suitable for producing bodily exercise by repeated lifting, and being adapted, during its 10 descent into said tube, to produce abnormal pressure which is eifective to check the fall of the said Weight.

In testimony whereof I, the said GEORGE E. SMITH, have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE E. SMITH. 

